The guides that teach are unprofessional. They are constantly on their phones when they send the kids off to explore, which is more like playing. They give them many of those opportunities, too. At one point, one of them was on the phone and cheering about getting something like a job. I wasn't sure. The other guide joined her and started cheering. They also encourage the kids to use the bathroom outdoors since that's what they would do in nature. I didn't know that and had nothing, such as tissue, to give to the kids. I don't recommend them. read more

I had the pleasure of participating at one of the walking tour of the at the walking mountain science center this past week with our guide, Reese. Reese was a great tour guide that was super knowledgeable of the area (animal, plants, and the seasons). This was a super easy hike for those who doesn't hike often or has kids with them and wanted try something else than skiing or snowboarding. When we got to the top, Reese gave us all the opportunity to take photos and he was also our own personal photographer. Definitely coming back to take one of the self tour/hike that this location also offers. read more

Walking Mountains - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

Walking Mountains has been nothing but wonderful during our visit to the Vail Valley. One of the best parts is their customer service! Because of Covid, they're requiring registration for their free events, which we had to switch around a bit while we were here in Vail for the week. They were all so courteous and helpful. Always giving me other options if something wasn't working out. The backcountry guided snowshoe hike, led by Nathan, was phenomenal!! He took us to West Lake Creek trail. We hiked for about 3 miles total. And he gave us low elevation folks plenty of stops to thoroughly catch our breath. And of course, we learned all about the science of snow while we rested. He also taught us about animal tracks and habitats, avalanches, wildfires, snow pack, water content in snow, etc. (Snowshoes were included.) Thank you Nathan and the entire Walking Mountain crew! read more

See all

Very kid friendly, love the sticker "scat happens" , and Reese was wonderful on our walking tour through the snow. We learned lots!

We had a fun, interesting and informative guided walk today with naturalist -Reese. This gentleman is a wonderful steward of nature. He taught us so much about the flora and fauna in this beautiful nature center. Our group had a range of ages from 1 to 65 and all of us enjoyed! Thanks Reese. Keep teaching and protecting the environment. read more

We did the snow shoe guided tour with Reese as our guide and had a wonderful time. He was very knowledgeable and answered everyone's questions. Would definitely recommend! read more

Walking Mountains - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

Fun, educational and surrounded by beautiful scenery. Our guide, Pierce, was great. He was very knowledgeable, shared lots of facts about the nature and animals in the area. The walking tour itself was not strenuous. We got lucky to also have fresh snow that day which made the walk more fun. Highly recommended especially if you have kids. read more

Walking Mountains - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

Great little nature walk on snowshoes. It was a good introduction to snowshoeing and, while a bit simple and easy, it was very enjoyable. Don't expect the free walk to need much exertion but the mountaintop one is a bit harder and I'd want to do the backcountry tour. read more

My wife and I took the nature walk tour at the Vail Visitor Center. It was very interesting to learn more about the area, the plants, and the animals in this habitat. Reese was an amazing source of information and provided both an interesting narrative and also was ready to answer any questions we might have. I definitely recommend the walking tour. And thanks to Reese for a great experience. read more

Amazing science center. We took the nature walk tour with my 65 year old father and 11 year old kids, and they all loved it. Very easy walk, and Riley was a great tour guide. He gave lots of insights and information that taught us a lot about the nature all around us. A wonderful highlight of our family trip to Avon. read more

We took our 2 kids and all had a great time. Reese was our guide and he did a great job answering questions from all of us and educating the kids on the local plants and wildlife. The center was amazing too, our 5 and 8 year old were entertained and engaged by the exhibits for over an hour. read more

Wife and I are on a family vacation and wanted to go on a learning hike so we scheduled a 2pm guided hike with Ms. Alice Dwyer. The hike is scheduled for one hour and you stop 4 or 5 times for the guide to discuss the surrounding environment, nature, animals, etc...Ms. Dwyer was very knowledgeable and passionate on the subject of biology and nature. She even prepared a backpack with random items that she selected to share with the tour group. I highly recommend taking an hour or two and visiting the science center! (And download the Merlin bird app, recommended by our guide,...I did and I love it!!) read more

See all

A couple friends and I stumbled upon this great spot after snowboarding one day. The inside is more geared toward kids experientially, but there are a lot of interesting things to learn about the building itself -- how it was constructed for minimal environmental impact, its nearly-energy-independence, and efficiency of its solar heating systems. We went on a showshoe tour with Tessa, who was so friendly and informative. She's a super great guide. She made it so fun and interesting, it's a shame that it was only about an hour. This would be a great half-day activity. Thanks! read more

Walking Mountains - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

My family did the last tour for the season on April 8 at the Eagle Bahn site. Reese was our tour guide and he was very knowledgeable and patient with me and my 10 year old... the views of the mountains were absolutely breath taking (literally and figuratively! Lol!) First time snowshoeing and was really scared but Reese took time to help and encouraged us during our stops along the 1 mile slope side hike... it was overall a new kind of experience for us that we would not forget! read more

See all

My husband and I really enjoyed our walking tour with our friendly and knowledgeable guide, Tayler. She pointed things out to us on the trail that we would never have noticed on our own. The hike was easy, even if you are older or out of shape. I highly recommend taking this informative hike if you are in the area. There is something to see in every season. read more

Tori was a delightful, knowledgeable guide who catered our nature walk to our group, giving us options that made our snowshoe nature walk a highlight of our trip to Beaver Creek! This would work for all ages and most abilities. We had an 84-year-old in our party that thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Highly recommend! read more

Walking Mountains - Our 84-year old snow warrior hiking back in! - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

See all

Great place and friendly staff. The hike up to the Avon lookout was a workout but glad we went!

Fabulous. I'm a non-skier and visited Vail with family who ski. I'd brought my own snowshoes but had never used them. The folks at Walking Mountains are so nice. At the top of the Vail Eagle Bahn gondola, had a lovely snow shoe nature hike with Sarah N and a sweet customer service interaction with Christina N. Can't thank these wonderful women enough for making my Vail trip memorable! read more

We loved the nature walk that we took with Reese this afternoon! There was something of interest to everyone in the group. The kids loved the animal pelts and I was enchanted by the aspen trees. I recommend a nature walk at this center to everyone- locals and visitors alike. read more

Was here last month with the family and my parents. This is actually our second time here with my hubby and kiddos. It's a fun little place, great for kids to explore indoors and great for the outdoors! They even have organized activities if you need some stuff to do! The inside isn't super big, but it's jammed packed with great information about nature and the environment. There is also a play area with fun puppet animals (yes, I myself have put on a fun puppet show or two, who doesn't love cute animals?!!) along with activity puzzles and books to read. If the weather is too hot or too cold to be outside, this is a good place to relax (there are a few comfy oversized chairs to nap on... my mom took a little snooze) while the kiddos keep themselves busy. This place can give you about 30-45 min of play for the kids. We were waiting for the free hiking tour... and what a treat! I didn't know what to expect on this mile hike. As far as the terrain, there is one climb, which can be a little rough, but I was able to climb it with my 18 month old in my arms (I forgot my baby carrier to be hands-free) and another mom was pushing her 1 year old up this hill with her bob stroller with no problem. So it's pretty reasonable for kids and families and grandparents to hike on. I was blown away by all the cool facts learned on this hike. Aspen trees are amazing and understanding the environment and why certain plants grow in certain areas. Seriously, the hike was so enjoyable. My kiddos and I had plenty of questions and our guide answered them with ease. Even my parents had a great time!!! I would highly recommend this place to visit if you are in the area. This is an awesome place for families. I am looking forward to coming back with the family during a different time of year to see how much the terrain changes on this free hike! Thanks for making our visit so memorable! read more

See all

Today we went on the Nature Walk at the Avon Tang Campus. It was lead by the amazing naturalist, Kean. He was friendly, patient, and knowledgeable; answering all the questions that were asked. The walk is a very simple walk through the aspen forest where we spotted the beautiful yellow leaves of the aspen. read more

Took my 8yr old boys and my mom to the Science Spooktacular event here last weekend... a bunch of fun and educational activities the boys loved, esp the "haunted" forest walk (great job decorating!!). The workers were extremely friendly and accommodating. We brought a picnic lunch and ate it on the benches among the trees, then we went on the short guided nature walk. The outdoor photo tour is really neat too. The whole thing is free... but you'll definitely want to give a donation for good karma and b/c it's such a cool place to bring the kids (even if there is t a special event going on). read more

We had a wonderful, virtually private snowshoe tour at the top of Vail with Tayler B. Gorgeous conditions and very cool nature features to share. Tayler was patient and helpful with a first-time snowshoer (my daughter), who got so good, she led us all back to the yurt on the way back! Highly recommend the walking/snowshoeing tours! read more

Nathan is the best! He took us on a guided wildflower tour of Shrine Ridge Trail. We had an absolutely amazing experience and Nathan was very professional, inclusive, and engaging in his approach. He was very knowledgeable about the wildflowers and made our experience so amazing. He really did a great job and I was a little sad when it came to a close because I didn't want it end. We really enjoyed this guided tour and would highly recommend Walking Mtns and Nathan! read more

Although coming here to Avon every winter for 15+ years, we have never realized the amazing resources of Walking Mountain. Last Saturday we took one of their free walking nature tours, and we both learned a lot, even as well versed naturalists ourselves! Our guide, Taylor, was awesome, engaging, and even made tea brewed from the pine needles for us to try. I strongly recommend accessing Walking Mountains Science Center, and learning from them. Our greatest disappointments was not being able to fit in the snow show tour on the upper mountain at Vail! maybe next year! read more

My friends and I took a nature walking tour while in Vail over the Fourth of July weekend. Niels Crans was our tour guide and was so knowledgeable, patient with our questions, and very kind and personable! We loved the tour! read more

We did the guided snowshoe hike Mar 2022. It was soo much fun and we learned a lot about the local Colorado environment. Sarah N. was a fabulous tour guide as well! Would recommend the hike for anyone up in Vail for the week read more

Had a great time on the nature walk snowshoeing with Sarah. She definitely has a passion for nature and made the tour well worth it. The area is beautiful and highly recommend ! read more

Last week four of us (old college friends) went on two different walking tours in Vail and Minturn with Maddie. All four of us are keenly interested in knowing the birds and the wildflowers, but we were delighted that Maddie offered us so much more. We got an overview of Rocky Mountain creek and river drainage patterns, observations of the effects of north-south exposure on plant communities, plant zones in the Rockies, interesting facts about the incredible aspens (which are so much more than just a singularly beautiful tree), and we learned about the underground mycorrhizal fungal networks connecting aspens and other trees, whatever their species, into a community, just for starters. Thanks, Maddie! read more

Free museum is great! Puzzles, blocks, a few hands-on molds of scat & bones. Save your money on your visit. Overpriced gifts.. $10 finger puppet anyone? So Disappointed with preschool program. I took my 5 & 3 year old sons to a Tuesday Preschool Program. $15 Charge PER CHILD for 2hrs of a greasy-haired, Hailey "winging it." Not engaging, not fun. For the sake of the children please, Get it together. No child wants to sit in a quiet, unlit room & watch you hold a small inflatable globe & talk, talk & talk. It was droning. For the first hour, she kept saying another kid is coming. Girlfriend..more children attending will not save the poor quality & lack of preparedness of how you're delivering information here. read more

Excellent experience on the snowshoe tour! Our group was relatively small, only 7 people, and lots of fun! I've never seen so much snow in my life, nearly four feet! I'd love to do this again in the summer. read more

We enjoyed the trails especially our 4 year old. We didn't spend a lot inside the center since our son wanted to do more outdoor. It's a beautiful place to visit for families with kids. read more

I went with a group of friends to the Nature Discovery Center on the top of Vail Mtn for a snowshoe tour. Not only were the views like nowhere else on Earth, but the naturalist tour was the experience of a lifetime! Our guide Aspen was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. As a teacher, I appreciated her use of multi-sensory techniques to help us understand what winter can be like for overwintering animals in the local area, including use of sight, sound, and even smell! She awakened my sense of wonder towards the local environment and inspired curiosity about how other wildlife deals with Colorado's winter conditions. 10/10 would return for Aspen's tour, and I'm sure other staff would do an almost-equally-great job. read more

This was a Super Fun & Educational Experience! We did the FREE night tour at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola. Our Guide Marshall was super Knowledgeable. Definitely recommend. read more

My boyfriend and I went on an 11am nature guided tour in Vail with Bella. Bella was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The tour size was small and we were able to ask lots of questions. The hike itself was relatively easy and at a slow pace. I would reccomend this guided tour to my friends, family, and other yelpers. read more

I wasn't sure about taking the one hour snowshoeing tour during our visit to Eagle's Nest (Lion's Head). Rachel at the Walking Mountain Science Center made the tour sound interesting enough for us to sign up. We arrived a few minutes early to find out we would be the only two taking the tour, sounded good! Our naturalist explained what we would learn during our time with her. She pointed out her safety qualifications (very important to know), "safely" guided us across the busy ski slope to reach our starting point, where she made sure to check on us as we started our climb ( we had about three feet of snow on each side of us). During our hike Iza made a few stops (these stops were welcomed) to talk about nature and it's wildlife. She covered several educational points that become very interesting on how the wildlife and eco system survives during the harsh Colorado winters. This little adventure was truly enjoyed by husband and me so much that were are going back this summer with our children. Hopefully, we will see Iza and Rachel again! Thank you girls for the amazing job you did! Elton and Jessie Parker read more

Walking Mountains - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

See all

We love WM science center. Dustin and Kate have been awesome to work with. Dustin has accommodated our small group of Homeschool kiddos schedule and put us with a terrific guide. My boys love Kate! She's a fantastic educator. We are grateful to have this resource available in the Vail Valley. read more

My 3 year old and I went to the pre-school program, earth keepers, today and it was amazing. Rachel was awesome! She taught us about Crows, Ravens & Magpies. There was a very well put together slide show of facts, an outdoor exploration, snack time, games and a craft. Honestly can't believe we hadn't gone before. We will be regulars from here forward. We LOVED IT! read more

Walking Mountains - Made a bird mask at earth keepers - Hiking Near Me - Avon, Colorado

See all

My husband and I went on a nature hike with Bella. She was very knowledgeable and sweet. The tour size was small which we enjoyed. We both learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves. read more

Excellent tour by Aaron M. Very informative and interesting. We did the free nature hike at the top of the Lionshead Gondola. We will return for the evening nature walk in order to *hopefully* see some more animals. The walk was really easy and great for kids. read more